A plate of Pad Thai with Lemongrass and Shirataki Noodles is seen on a table on Friday, March 6, 2020. The recipe is in “Low-Carb Vegetarian Cookbook” by Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence, the duo behind The Chubby Vegetarian blog.(Photo: Ariel Cobbert/ The Commercial Appeal)

Try a plant-based protein

“This is the perfect time to try a plant-based protein,” Burks said.

Burks recommends products from the brand Beyond Meat for those trying plant-based proteins for the first time. “They taste and cook like real meat,” he said.

Lawrence is a fan of Beyond Meat’s sausages. Similar to a bratwurst, it cooks just like sausage does. She and Burks slice it and use it in dishes like red beans and rice and gumbo.

She pointed out that plant-based proteins can also be healthier. “Plant-based proteins tend to be lower in saturated fats than their beef or pork counterparts, while offering the same amount of protein.”

Eat more veggies

While meats and processed foods are scarce at grocery stores, fresh produce is easy to come by.

“We have had no trouble finding vegetables,” Burks said. “If looking for fresh peppers, cauliflower or even green onions, they are available.”

Burks said that while in quarantine they have been making lots of stir-fries and curries with fresh vegetables.

“If you are adding a protein like chicken in a stir-fry, vegetables will help stretch the protein further by making the dish more filling,” Burks said.

Use familiar flavors

Lawrence said they make faux hot wings out of meat-less ingredients such as tofu and cauliflower.

Many of the recipes in their cookbooks apply cooking techniques and flavorings traditionally used on meats to vegetables.

Squash “steaks” flavored with Montreal seasoning, portobello mushroom “breakfast sausage” seasoned with the same spices used in a pork sausage, and jackfruit nachos cooked liked pork carnitas are just a few of the creative ways the couple make vegetables take center stage.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.